Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

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Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

Postby octoberpumpkin » Thu Feb 09, 2017 5:19 am

I was excited to get this going and I should have the first entry up by this weekend!

So what is this?
I decided, since I have played many games and am expanding my gaming in to different genres, that I would appreciate each genre for what it brings and make individual favourites lists based on that. These lists will happen when I've played the games I want to play in the genre (the JRPG one is going to take a long while, don't hold your breath). This will also allow me to customize the review style to what suits the genre. Scariness is important in the horror genre, for example, but maybe not so much in others. Note that games that fit in to more than one genre will be placed in only one list depending on which I feel it suits better personally.

So which list is this?
This will be my Adventure genre list, which will include point-and-click and interactive movie/walking sim types of games. The action-adventure style will be covered in a later list. These are generally more low key games, lighter on the action, and there's sometimes an element to puzzle solving. In other cases they can be "your choices matter!" type games or they might just focus on exploring while uncovering a narrative.

How will the reviews for this genre be structured?
I will cover what I think are the most important aspects: Story, environment, ambiance, and puzzles and choices if applicable. Gameplay will also be covered briefly.

Will there be spoilers?
Spoilers will be marked in spoiler tags so no worries if you haven't played the game. My hope is that some peeps can find some new games to try!

So look forward to my list Coming Soon and enjoy! Also remember that all opinions are subjective yada yada

Enjoy!

#15 Abzu
#14 Fran Bow
#13 Doki Doki Universe
#12 Life is Strange
#11 Flower
#10 Firewatch
#9 The Wolf Among Us
#8 Beyond Eyes
#7 Everybody's Gone to the Rapture
#6 Gone Home
#5 Read Only Memories
#4 To the Moon
#3 Her Story
#2 Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
#1 The Walking Dead
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Re: Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

Postby octoberpumpkin » Fri Feb 10, 2017 6:02 am

#15 - Abzu
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Platform I played on: PS4
Available platforms: Steam, PS4, Xbox One
Developer: Giant Squid
Publisher: 505 Games
Length: 2-3 hours


Story:
Abzu places you in the swimming shoes of an unknown diver who wakes up in the middle of the ocean. From there, you must swim around, uncovering the mysteries that lie beneath the water. Why are you there? What are you supposed to do? I can't tell you without giving too much away!

I did quite enjoy the story, although I found it eerily similar to Flower, which took away some of the impact. I liked how much was left up to the imagination and how much emotion was conveyed without any dialogue.

Gameplay:
Mostly swimming. You swim around the ocean and occasionally will run in to an interactable. In some cases this will release more creatures in to the sea, or activate a little companion for you, or give you a collectable. You can also use a sonar ability, useful when it's dark, and you can ride some of the ocean's creatures as well. There are also meditation statues that allow you to view the fish around you and follow them while they do their thing. The game's focus is very much on exploration and most sections will reflect that, with a few faster paced areas and some small scenes to activate in between areas.

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Environment:
Abzu's environment is gorgeous if you're like me and love the water. You're exploring an underwater world and each section brings a new theme and colour scheme in to the picture. From the bright pinks to lush greens to the deep oranges and the dark blues, the world doesn't feel repetitive and boring but instead uses its world to great effect by demonstrating gorgeous scenes.

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Ambiance:
Abzu is a relaxing game focused on exploration and discovery and the game does it well. The music is suited to the mood's they try and evoke and the colour scheme matches the section of the story you find yourself in. The light blue and bright pink areas convey the beauty of the ocean and the joy of exploration, whereas the dark blue shows the lonely depths as you move towards more uncertainty. Every aspect is carefully considered and well put together in order to shape a story and guide your emotions without the use of text or dialogue.

Choices:

None of note.

Puzzles:
Very minor puzzles. Sometimes you'll need to find a companion to help you through an area, or you'll need to find a switch to continue on. There are some collectables to find, but you simply have to be thorough in your searches and on the ball in the fast paced sections. Not a heavy thinker in terms of puzzles.

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Cons:
-Very short
-A little TOO similar to Flower
-Not much in the way of puzzles or choices
-Not much replay value unless you just want to spend some time relaxing under the water
-The story might be a bit too vague for some

Pros:
-Gorgeous
-Some great moments that don't need to rely on dialogue to evoke strong emotions
-Exploration and discovery
-Relaxing
-Interesting
-YOU GET TO EXPLORE THE FICTIONAL OCEAN

Overall:
It's only like $20 on the PSN and it's definitely worth it. While it might not have much replay value as far as story and branching paths, it's a great game for a calm afternoon if you just want to unwind. It's beautiful and a great demonstration of how setting, music, and the use of colour can help set the tone for a story. Also, if you're interested in fishies, it'll even give you some names of some water creatures in case you're curious!

Rating:
One big, beautiful beluga whale

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Re: Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

Postby octoberpumpkin » Fri Feb 10, 2017 6:06 pm

#14 - Fran Bow
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Platform I played on: Steam
Available platforms: Steam, iOS, Android, gog
Developer: Killmonday Games
Length: 8-9 hours


Story:
Fran Bow is a game about the titular Fran after her parents are murdered and she is put in a mental hospital, separated from her best friend, her kitty Mr. Midnight. At the mental hospital, she is given medication which causes her to see horrific things. Fed up with the hospital, she plans her escape and goes on a journey to find her cat companion.

The story is incredible strange. Are the things Fran is seeing real? Are they medication induced hallucinations? Is she just really crazy? The story was very off and quirky, but it was still interesting and the characters were very well written in my opinion. Just don't worry if you're left scratching your head as you play through this game.

Gameplay:
Fran Bow is a point-and-click where you... point and then click on things to interact with them. You will also combine items in your inventory to make different items. Fran will have a comment on most things you see and you can also talk to people as well. On top of that, Fran has her medication which, when taken, will allow her to view the world in a different way, which is necessary to solve some puzzles. Clicking on her medication again will undo the effect. There will also be mini-games between chapters, such as a frogger style game to give you something different to do as a break from the main game.

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Environment:
The environments are as strange as the game, especially since they essentially have two layers (with medication and without). With medication, the environments usually become rather horrific with blood and corpses littering the scenes. The game does vary its locations a good bit and you'll have somewhere completely new to explore every chapter.

Ambiance:

This game is weird and creepy and it manages to fill every area with that feeling, even the ones that are brighter and happier. Just like Fran, you'll always be left with uncertainty at what exactly is going on as you try to escape the horrors, find your cat, and go home. Fran herself adds to the off feeling of the game in how she reacts to some odd or horrific things in a rather casual, off-handed manner that adds to the feeling of insanity that the game tries to express. The game seems to try too hard to be strange sometimes but they manage to pull everything together in a way that actually does make it strange and creepy.

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Choices:
The majority of choices are simple dialogue options. Sometimes you need to say certain things to get vital clues or items you need for puzzle solving, and other times it simply changes a bit of dialogue.

Puzzles:
Fran Bow is filled with puzzles and the primary mechanic for a lot of the game is the use of your medication to enter the other layer of the environment. You'll need to constantly switch between the two states to solve puzzles, get clues, and progress the game. Later on, there will be a level in which you change the seasons to much of the same effect. You'll also need to combine items you find.

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Cons:
-Disgusting and horrific imagery
-Rather sad and stressful
-Some areas feel too long
-Some frustrating puzzles

Pros:

-Open to interpretation
-Interesting characters
-Great ambiance
-Quirky

Overall:
Also an affordable game, Fran Bow might be for you if you like creepy games and point-and-click puzzle styles of games. It's not overly long and the variance in chapters means that if you find one section you don't like, you might like the next one. The characters are really good and the game did a great job of making me feel like part of the madness. Don't be surprised if all of your questions aren't answered by the end, but sometimes a story left open to interpretation is better than anything they could have written.

Rating:

One cute Mr. Midnight and a cat on a unicycle.
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Re: Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

Postby octoberpumpkin » Sat Feb 11, 2017 5:31 am

#13 - Doki Doki Universe
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Platform I played on: PlayStation 3
Available platforms:
PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita (buying it on one gives you access to it on all three devices).
Developer/Publisher: HumaNature Studios
Length: 5-7 hours


Story:
In this game you play as a customizable robot named QT3 who, along with his red balloon friend, was accidentally left out in space. Wanting to reunite with his friend, QT3 is found by Alien Jeff (an alien named Jeff) who tells him his robot model is being discontinued for lacking humanity. Now QT3 must travel from planet to planet proving that he does indeed have and understand emotions.

Gameplay:

This is a rather lighthearted and simplistic game. QT3 travels to different planets, each of which deals with a different aspect of humanity. There, you must help the inhabitants solve their problems by summoning items, maybe giving them gifts or making them float in the air. You receive more items for completing these tasks, which can be used to solve more problems. You'll also unlock customization items for QT3, his trusty space steed, and the Home world. You can find presents hidden around and the NPC's will each have their own likes and dislikes which will affect their view of you. There are also simple psych tests you can take on asteroids that float around in space which will help the game build a profile for you.

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Environment:

The aesthetic of the game is rather simplistic, almost mimicking a child's drawing. Each world has its own theme, such as medieval or haunted or city or winter, etc. This adds some variety in the environments and characters as well as what type of items you can unlock and uncover. The Home world can be customized as any theme you want once you've unlocked the items, or you can just make a mishmash of everything to suit your eclectic tastes.

Ambiance:
Another game that overall does this well. The childlike nature of the graphics helps convey the innocence of QT3 as he learns about humanity. Sure that sounds pretentious but that doesn't make it any less true! The whimsy of the characters and icons fits the lighthearted theme well, which really helps set the mood they're trying to establish. The music, on the other hand, is mostly forgettable with a few tracks that take away from the ambiance rather than add to it.

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Choices:
The major choices here are how you respond to certain questions asked by NPCs. Also the many psych test asteroids around. These don't do much for the story but each answer helps built a for-fun psych profile of yourself if you're curious about how the game interprets your decisions.

Puzzles:
Not much here. There are some puzzles to solve in the way of figuring out how to help the NPCs, but they're very basic and easy to figure out. Great for kids beginning to learn puzzle solving techniques!

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Cons:

-A bit too simplistic for a subject that could go very indepth and be very impactful
-Have to pay extra to unlock all of the worlds and question asteroids
-Choices and actions the player can take are limited
-Can feel repetitive

Pros:
-Adorable and sweet
-Fun to pick up and play for a bit here and there
-Good for kids
-Funny and entertaining

Overall:
The game is relatively affordable, even with the extras you have to buy for the complete game and it's great for a pick up and play style adventure title when you just want something to be happy about. It's not amazing or life changing, but it's memorable in it's own way for it's charm and quirkyness and if you like taking psych tests like I do then you're in for a treat. It almost brings you back to the wonder of being a child. While it can be a bit TOO simple it's still a very enjoyable experience.

Rating:
QT4 out of 5

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Re: Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

Postby octoberpumpkin » Sat Feb 11, 2017 9:00 pm

:arrow: So turns out I accidentally deleted one of the games from my list, so the numbers have been readjusted accordingly. 15 games instead of 14, yaaay! :oops:

#12 - Life is Strange
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Platform I played on: PlayStation 3
Available platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Steam
Developer: DONTNOD Entertainment
Publisher: Square Enix
Length: 15-16 hours, 3ish hours per episode (5 episodes)


Story:
Life is Strange has you assume the role of Max Caulfield, a photography student. One day, as Max goes about business of being artistic and hating the rich girl, she witnesses a girl being shot in the bathroom. Fortunately, she discovers she has the ability to rewind time! What do with these amazing powers? Use them to rewind time to get information out of others and snoop around their rooms! Also reconnect with your old bestie you'd fallen out of touch with, try to find her missing friend, and solve the weird happenings around Arcadia Bay. Including that strange tornado heading for town in a few days.

Gameplay:
In this game you walk around as Max, talking to people and selecting dialogue options, examining odds and ends around the environments, taking pictures when you get the opportunity in a collect them all, photography edition style sidequest. ALSO you get to rewind time. You don't get to rewind it too far though so make sure you're on the ball and know when to react or you might miss things. You also get a journal to look over, text messages to read and reply to, but most of it is based on choices, examining the environment, and using your magical time powers.

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Environment:
The game takes place in Arcadia Bay and mostly has you exploring the school, the dorm, and a few places here and there around town. You aren't able to freely go and explore but instead will be set in certain areas for certain sections of the game. Despite that, it rarely feels limiting and there's usually a good bit for you to do and explore wherever you're placed. You will be returning to previously visited areas but it doesn't feel repetitive and there will be new stuff offered when you do return so you'll have more to see.

Ambiance:

The main character suits the artsy-fartsy environment rather well. Everything from the styles of the characters and areas to the dialogue options on screen suit the artistic vibe the game has going for it. The music fits well with the not-so-cool Max and small nowhere town and it overall conveys the tone it's trying to set. The game features a lot of orange colouring which gives it a good, toned down vibe as well which allows for slowing down and appreciating the small moments, which Life is Strange seems to encourage.

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Choices:
One of the main mechanics of the game, this is definitely one of those "your choices matter" experiences that are popular in a lot of this style of adventure game. Some choices you make will have no impact or have a small one, whereas others will carry over to the next episodes and affect how other characters feel about you and react to you. In some cases, your choices will have major impacts and you won't always be able to rewind them once their consequences become apparent. You'll also be shown stats of choices other players have made at certain major events throughout the episode once the episode is complete.

Puzzles:
There are some puzzles here and there, mostly related to using your time powers to trigger certain events. You'll also have some detectiving to do here and there, but the puzzles are not the most challenging and don't require a ton of mental work.

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Cons:
-Some plot points feel very contrived
-A lot of unlikeable characters
-The slang they use feels forced and outdated a lot of the time
-Fluctuates between really good moments and really dull and uninteresting moments

Pros:
-Some interesting side characters
-Some very powerful and emotional moments
-Fun and interesting to explore
-Fun picture taking mini sidequest
-Call backs to choices previously made, even some of the less important ones

Overall:
I did enjoy Life is Strange. It felt almost like playing one of those old coming of age books or movies and there was just something surreal yet nostalgic about it. There were some very powerful emotions and episode 5 was personally my favourite section of the game. The choice system was fun and overall well implemented and the visual and musical style of the game really fit the story and characters. On the other hand, I found the main two characters very unlikeable, which made it harder to relate to them and get the full impact of some later plot points and decisions. It could also be rather cringeworthy at times and some plot points felt very much like ass-pulls that came out of nowhere. Overall though, it's cheap like most of the games on this list and I would recommend checking it out if it seems like your type of game.

Verdict:
Shake it like a Polaroid picture

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Re: Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

Postby KleinerKiller » Sun Feb 12, 2017 1:10 am

Ah, you've now reviewed my second-favorite game of 2015!

octoberpumpkin wrote:-The slang they use feels forced and outdated a lot of the time


Would you say you got hella problems with that mad slang, dawg? It really is super cringeworthy, but as it went on I just accepted it as part of the weird charm.

octoberpumpkin wrote:On the other hand, I found the main two characters very unlikeable, which made it harder to relate to them and get the full impact of some later plot points and decisions. It could also be rather cringeworthy at times and some plot points felt very much like ass-pulls that came out of nowhere.


Interesting. I can understand why people are divided on Chloe: her skewed and obsessive priorities, generally bitchy attitude, moral myopia, various hypocrisies, etc. She's my favorite character in the game, mainly because I grew to understand and sympathize with where her anger and desperation came from, but I understand disliking her. Max being very unlikeable is almost a foreign concept to me, though; I found her very relatable and unique for a video game protagonist. Of all the various complaints I've heard about the game's cast, the worst thing people ever say about her is that she leans a bit too heavily into her hipsterism.

As for ass-pull plot points, the "finding Rachel / Dark Room" plot line is pretty tightly written to me, and I didn't find anything that stuck out as not making sense or being contrived. So unless I'm spectacularly missing something, I imagine you're referring to the other thing.

Spoiler: show
I didn't care for everything involving the storm, Max's role in causing it, or how to properly deal with it and save Arcadia Bay. The scenes in the devastated town worked effectively (especially the part with Max listening to the missed call from Nathan as she pulls into town), but nothing about it in the story resonated as well as it should have.

In particular, the choice at the end and how it ties into the larger narrative. I liked it in concept and for how vastly different the endings could be, and I get the motif ("a butterfly flapping its wings causes a hurricane down the line") explaining why Max stopping the shooting triggered it all, but it just comes off in execution like the whole universe really, really hates Chloe Price and she needs to suffer a pointless death for reality itself to be at peace. After five episodes (and a whole lifetime) of getting nothing but awful, traumatic shit dealt to her, it's way too contrived, nonsensical, and mean-spirited of a dilemma.
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Re: Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

Postby octoberpumpkin » Sun Feb 12, 2017 1:43 am

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I was mostly referring to
Spoiler: show
how her time powers worked. You can only rewind a short time except oops now you can time travel to very specific points through convenient pictures and sometimes the powers just don't work or they just straight up freeze time. Even the amount of time in the normal rewind didn't seem consistent so it felt to me like they just changed her powers to whatever suited the plot at the time instead of having consistent rules about how it worked or didn't.


That's just my personal feelings on the matter though!
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Re: Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

Postby octoberpumpkin » Sun Feb 12, 2017 5:01 pm

#11 - Flower
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Platform I played on: PlayStation 3
Available platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita
Developer: Thatgamecompany
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Length: 4 hours


Story:

Flower's story is pretty minimalist, leaving a lot up to your imagination. You control a gust of wind/single flower petal at the start of each "level" as you move around the area collecting yet more flower petals. A bigger plot comes in to play later on as you try and restore the natural beauty of the world with your flower petals and gust of wind, but even there a lot of it is left up to you to interpret.

Gamplay:

As stated, you start each level with one flower petal and you control the wind via controller tilting. You can also speed up your wind by pressing pretty much any button and your goal is to collect flower petals throughout the level before advancing to the next. The difficulty slowly ramps up as you go from areas where nothing can harm you to areas where stuff very much can, but even so you'll never "die" or see a game over screen.

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Environment:
Flower has beautiful levels that naturally evolve as you progress through the game. There's also a good deal of variance between the levels, going from wide open daytime fields to nighttime to a more residential area. You'll also find some different flowers in each level. Flower does a good job at not letting things feel dull and repetitive despite the fact that your goal is almost the same in most levels.

Ambiance:

Flower is great at this. There's a sense of progression and wonder throughout the game, and later levels instill reluctance and fear, as well as achievement and purpose. Everything from the sounds to the visuals work together to tell a narrative without use of dialogues or text. The fact that Flower can convey everything it tries to and possibly even more without using a single word is very impressive.

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Choices:
There are no in-game choices other than how you explore the level and which flower petals to collect. The most choice comes from the little was in which you'll personally interpret the story.

Puzzles:

Again, not much to speak of here. The closest is trying to get all of the petals and the special petals if you so choose.

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Cons:
-Minimalist which could turn some people off
-Controls can sometimes be finicky
-Not a ton of replay value if you don't want to just play a game to relax to
-Flowers are really the reproductive organs of some plants so if you think about it, these flowers are MOLESTING your innocent gust of wind

Pros:
-Relaxing
-Beautiful
-Emotional without a single word uttered
-Use your ~imagination~
-Fox News called it liberal environmentalist propaganda that is brainwashing our children. That has to count for something

Overall:
Jokes aside, Flower is a beautiful game, not just visually but through the story it tells. To me it really conveyed a message of overcoming fear and difficulties and coming out even better at the end of it, which really resonated with me. It's very relaxing if you just want to decompress with some plant reproductive units. Also if you don't care about environmentalist brainwashing, it's great for children!

Verdict:

Pink roses are best Flowers

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Re: Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

Postby octoberpumpkin » Mon Feb 13, 2017 1:01 am

#10 - Firewatch
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Platform I played on: PlayStation 4
Available platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Steam, gog
Developer: Campo Santo
Publisher: Campo Santo, Panic
Length: 5 hours


Story:
Firewatch has you playing as a man named Henry who has taken a job in the woods to get away from his life back home. His task is to watch out for fires, as expected. There, he is introduced to his coworker Delilah whom he communicates with via walkie-talkie. As the days go by, Henry gets to know Delilah more as he goes about his fire watching business, but soon the two of them discover that something strange is going on.

Gameplay:
The gameplay of Firewatch consists mostly of two core mechanics: exploring the forest and talking with Delilah. You'll be given tasks to complete which will require you to get to specific points on the map. This is done with your map and compass. You'll also find some things like map markers and letters and such to read over and examine. Later on you can also take pictures. The second aspect of the game is talking to Delilah. At times you'll be prompted to tell her something, or she'll talk to you and you'll be given a few choices as to how you respond, which will affect your relationship with Delilah.

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Environment:
You'll get to know the forest and surrounding area throughout the few hours of gameplay as the map begins to make more sense to you from a firsthand perspective. There are some gorgeous locations and the game is pretty good about letting you go and explore if you want to. I got to know the paths more as I played which allowed me to get to my destinations without needing the map as much towards the end, so it helps the area feel like a second home for Henry and there are a lot of nooks and crannies for you to uncover.

Ambiance:
The game conveys its tone pretty well. Some parts feel more relaxing, some feel more sad, and some even feel a bit scary or worrisome when you learn that something strange is going on. There's also some good environmental storytelling to help put the player in the correct mindset of what's happening and what it means. Also having Delilah be your primary source of interaction helps build the relationship between the two characters.

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Choices:
The choices in the game are mainly about how you interact with Delilah. Do you call her when you find something? Are you nice to her? Do you joke along with her? Your choices affect the flow of conversation, the relationship between Henry and Delilah, and how Delilah views you. There are a lot of conversation options as you go through the game.

Puzzles:
Really nothing major to speak of unless you count trying to find everything and not getting lost because, like me, you suck at using maps.

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Cons:

-Too short to have the full effect
-Ending was kind of a letdown
-A bit repetitious
-Never got to go fishing

Pros:
-Excellent opening
-Gorgeous areas
-Intriguing story
-Focus on the interpersonal relationship between two people

Overall:
My cons kind of relate to each other. The game had a lot of potential to be excellent for me, but it wasn't long enough for everything to take the full effect. The bonding could have been longer, there could have been more work related tasks to do, and I could have been more immersed in the experience and felt the full effects of the length of time Henry was there. The ending was a letdown for me also because of the length of the game. The red herrings didn't have time to sink in and really make me think about things before the game reached its conclusion. But with that said, I quite enjoyed the game. The characters felt real, the environments were fun to explore and gorgeous, and it really felt isolating, driving home that feeling of running away. It was great interacting with Delilah and having there be such a focus on the relationship between her and Henry.

Verdict:

Good amount of fires but not enough fishing

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Re: Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

Postby KleinerKiller » Mon Feb 13, 2017 11:37 am

I knew the conversation choices dramatically affected your relationship with Delilah, but I never realized quite how much until I found this article, in which the author replayed the game and never once spoke to her when given the option. I highly recommend reading it; it is insane how much work was put into that dynamic for every eventuality.

It is also even more depressing than the game as it's meant to be played.
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Re: Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

Postby octoberpumpkin » Tue Feb 14, 2017 4:37 pm

#9 - The Wolf Among Us
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Platform I played on: PlayStation 4
Available platforms: Steam, gog, Android, iOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Developer/Publisher: Telltale Games
Length: 9 hours, 1 1/2-2 hours per episode (5 episodes)


Story:
The Wolf Among Us is based on the comic book series Fables, which features some of our favourite fairytale characters living the gritty life in New York. They must keep their identities hidden from the regular folk (called mundies) and those who cannot are sent to live on a farm. Not all is well in Fabletown. Our protagonist, the Big Bad Wolf, called Bigby Wolf, finds a decapitated head in front of his apartment building. It is his job and yours, along with the help of Snow White and some other Fable characters, to find the murderer and solve the case before more fables suffer the same fate.

Gameplay:
For those unfamiliar with the Telltale style of gameplay, it basically consists of interacting with the environment, dialogue choices, and some quick time events. You control Bigby Wolf and you'll be able to examine our environment, finding clues or just listening to commentary. There will also be quick time events in the more action oriented scenes of the game, where you'll have to press the right button at the right time, or mash a button when indicated. The major element of the game is dialogue choices, When speaking to a character, you'll be given a number of responses, which will decide how Bigby approaches the case and how others feel about him and interact with him. You'll also have choices to make which will slightly alter the story and at the end of each episode you'll be shown how many players took the same approaches as you for key moments.

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Environment:
This is not a free to explore game, you'll be set in specific locations for specific sections of the game. Occasionally, you'll have the choice of where to go first/in what order. When in an area, you're usually free to walk around and examine your surroundings, which might give you valuable clues or information. The locations themselves are usually small, but they do feel pertinent to the game and they're pretty interesting. You will return to certain locations which will usually have new things for you to examine and explore.

Ambiance:

The Wolf Among Us is very gritty, although less so then the comic books, I'm told. Everything has that grit to it. The lighting, the characters, the music. This is not the fairytales you tell to kids, this is a much more grown up and jaded version. Of course the whole murder mystery thing tends to put a damper on everything, but even with the generally serious and dark tone, The Wolf Among Us still manages some genuinely humourous moments which help keep the game from becoming too dark and depressing.

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Choices:
This is where the game really puts its focus. While the overarching plot will stay the same no matter what you choose, your choices will affect certain things like how characters react to you, Book of Fables entries unlocked, and what evidence you find to help you in your case. It also just indicates what kind of guy Bigby Wolf is going to be and how you're going to approach the case. Are you going to be the no-nonsense sort? Are you going to play the "good cop"? Are you going to help the Big Bad Wolf turn over a new leaf? There are a number of ways you can approach a situation to make the experience more tailored to you.

Puzzles:
The main puzzle is, obviously, finding the murderer. While the case will be solved by the end of the game, regardless of your choices, you'll be able to make decisions that will allow you to build a stronger case and find evidence to solve it yourself before the game tells you who did it and why. There are times when you'll need to find the correct evidence in an area and put it together to get the full picture of what's going on. Additionally, there are Book of Fables entries to be unlocked, some of which you might miss if you pick incorrect options (these aren't necessary to anything, more of just collectables).

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Cons:

-2gritty4me
-My fav Disney Princess kinda sucks in this :/
-So much swearing
-Would have liked to see some more well-known Fables at least make a small appearance

Pros:
-Bigby's voice acting is excellent
-Interesting seeing what I'm used to seeing as kids characters in a more grown up setting
-The ending is super interesting
-Good amount of choices
-Good character development based on your choices

Overall:

I just want to preface but saying that this is very much a game for adults. If you have kids who like Snow White and you think they may like playing a game with her in it or something, just be aware that there's a lot of adult content. Or heck, if you're an adult and just don't enjoy that stuff. The game was a bit too gritty for me, I'm not big on that style personally, but I overall enjoyed the game much more than I expected to. I was invested in the story and characters and the ending, although confusing, was excellent. If you like murder mysteries, don't mind the grit, and want to see some fairytales, this might be a game worth checking out!

Verdict:

These lips are sealed

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Re: Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

Postby KleinerKiller » Tue Feb 14, 2017 11:54 pm

The ending is really interesting, and it's a damn shame we're presumably never going to get a followup to that last mystery. After The Walking Dead and Tales From the Borderlands, this is my third-favorite Telltale series, and I wish they'd focused on a second season instead of moving on to shit like Minecraft Story Mode.
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"Your mind is software. Program it. Your body is a shell. Change it. Death is a disease. Cure it." - Eclipse Phase

NEW REVIEW! Judgment / Judge Eyes (2019)
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Re: Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

Postby Doodle Dee. Snickers » Wed Feb 15, 2017 12:42 am

KleinerKiller wrote:The ending is really interesting, and it's a damn shame we're presumably never going to get a followup to that last mystery. After The Walking Dead and Tales From the Borderlands, this is my third-favorite Telltale series, and I wish they'd focused on a second season instead of moving on to shit like Minecraft Story Mode.


I'd say, personally, TWAU was my favorite of the Telltale series, but I have a soft spot for gritty Urban Fantasy, a rare genre for any medium outside of novels to pick up. I actually rather liked Snow White, even if she was on your ass all day every day, and I also like the ending where you have Bigby be like "You know what, townspeople? I've been getting my ass kicked left and right for you, and I don't owe you a fucking thing. I'm out."

But yeah, they really need to get to a second season of this.
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Re: Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

Postby octoberpumpkin » Wed Feb 15, 2017 2:17 am

#8 - Beyond Eyes
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Platform I played on: PlayStation 4
Available platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Steam
Developer: Tiger & Squid
Publisher: Team17
Length: 3 hours


Story:
Beyond Eyes is the story of a little girl named Rae who was blinded one day by a firework accident. Since then she had become increasingly isolated, until a cat wandered in to her yard. She named this cat Nani and he would often come and visit her. One day, however, Nani stopped visiting. Wanting to see her friend, Rae must venture in to the unknown in search of her kitty companion.

Gameplay:

In Beyond Eyes, you play as a blind girl imagining and discovering the world around her. As you walk forward, more and more of the blank white scenery will be filled in based on what she can hear and feel. In some cases, she'll imagine things in the distance based off of sound or smell. Sometimes, as you get closer, you'll discover that what she imagines to be there is not always what's there. You'll venture out, watching the world go from pure white to being much more full and filled out as you walk along and discover things in search of Nani.

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Environment:
When you enter a new area, the screen will be almost pure white, and it will be up to you to fill it out by exploring. You aren't required to fill it out completely, you can just try and beeline it for the next area if you want, but the environments depend entirely on you experiencing them to exist. There's a decent amount of variance, from fields to a farm to a park to a small town and then a port, but they all have a similar feel and aesthetic. There will also be a few "danger zones" blocked off by Rae's fears.

Ambiance:
Beyond Eyes' ambiance is it's biggest strength, I feel. You're playing as a blind girl so you can't just SEE your environment right off the bat, you have to discover it. When you're surrounded by white in a new area, you can feel the uncertainty. I felt lost and overwhelmed. I couldn't just see my destination and how to get there, I had to feel my way around, uncovering the map slowly. But then when I would get to the end of an area and see the beautiful watercolours representing everything I'd discovered, it was a great feeling of overcoming obstacles and demonstrating strength. Then I'd move to the next stage and do it all again. It's also interesting to see the colours change based on Rae's feelings, such as fear. Later on, you explore an area while it's raining heavily and you'll see what an effect it has on Rae's senses, which I feel is used to great effect.

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Choices:
Really the only choice is how much you want to explore and fill out the area. Do you try and explore everything or are you just trying to get to your destination?

Puzzles:
Again, not much in the way of puzzles. Trying to find your way around when originally surrounded by whiteness is the biggest puzzle of all and is pretty much the entire point of the game. With that being said, it's relatively straight forward and you certainly won't be wracking your brain trying to solve it.

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Cons:
-The walking is REALLY SLOW with no option to speed up, so exploring can take a lot of time and can get especially frustrating when backtracking
-Weird save points, but as short as it is, that isn't a major issue
-Not a lot of variance in gameplay or new things to discover except for a few odds and ends here and there

Pros:
-Beautiful watercoulours
-Great ambiance
-An overall relaxing experience
-An emotional ending

Overall:
Beyond Eyes isn't perfect by any means and could have been improved upon, but it's still a great way to spend a few hours. Watching the world fill in around you and overcoming the anxiety at not being able to see what's in front of you are just great feelings. The game also helps you appreciate the beauty in real life but showing how beautiful things are all around us if we just stop and take the time to notice and appreciate them. The ending packed a punch for me and Beyond Eyes was just an overall memorable and enjoyable experience.

Verdict:
NANI COME BACK!!!

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Re: Pumpkin's Top Adventure Games!

Postby saywhat? » Thu Feb 16, 2017 4:07 am

KleinerKiller wrote:I knew the conversation choices dramatically affected your relationship with Delilah, but I never realized quite how much until I found this article, in which the author replayed the game and never once spoke to her when given the option. I highly recommend reading it; it is insane how much work was put into that dynamic for every eventuality.

It is also even more depressing than the game as it's meant to be played.


Jesus that's bleak :cry: but that was a really good article, thanks for posting it.
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